Ribbon forming and handling mechanism



March 18, 1969 A, BURNHAM ET AL 3,432,890

RIBBON FORMING AND HANDLING MECHANISM Sheet Filed June 2, 1966 March 18,1969 v. A. BURNHAM ET AL 3,432,890

RIBBON FORMING AND HANDLING MECHANISM Filed June 6, 1966 Sheet 2 of 5 March 18, 1969 v. A. BURNHAM ET AL 3,432,890

RIBBON FORMING' AND HANDLING MECHANISM Sheet 3 of 5 Filed June 6, 1966 March 18, 1969 v. A. BURNHAM ET AL 3,432,890

RIBBON FORMING AND HANDLING MECHANISM Sheet Filed June 1966 March 18, 1969 v. A. BURNHAM ET AL 3,432,890

RIBBON FORMING AND HANDLING MECHANISM Sheet Filed June 6, 1966 United Ste 3,432,890 RIBBON FORMING AND HANDLING MECHANISM Virgil Allan Bur-ham, Saco, Maine, and Richard Warren Munroe, Clemson, S.C., assignors to Maremont Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 379,244, .Iune 30, 1964. This application June 6, 1366, Ser. No. 555,561 US. Cl. 19-150 14 Claims Int. Cl. Dlllg 25/00, 27/00, /00

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Textile apparatus for blending a plurality of diverse staple fibers into a single unitary sliver comprising a plurality of independent diverse sliver supply means each providing a continuous ribbon sliver, ribbon sliver assembly means superposing said plurality of ribbon slivers upon one another aligned in their widthwise dimension providing a laminated ribbon sliver of said widthwise dimension having a plurality of laminations of diverse staple fibers and sliver drafting means. Each ribbon sliver has an essentially uniform rectangular cross section with a widthwise dimension several times greater than its thickness composed of generally longitudinally aligned staple fibers. The drafting means includes a plurality of pairs of drafting rolls for simultaneously drafting at a draft of about five to ten all of said diverse slivers from said plurality of independent diverse sliver supply means advanced directly and continuously to said drafting means from said assembly means in the same direction of their advance through said sliver supply means to blend said diverse staple fibers into a single unitary sliver incapable of delaminating.

This invention relates to textile apparatus especially useful for combining and so blending staple fibers supplied by suitable means such as plurality of textile cards to a single drafting means such as a draw frame. It is in part a continuation of our copending application Ser. No. 379,244, filed June 30, 1964, now abandoned, and which is in part a continuation of our copending application Ser. No. 321,588, filed Nov. 5, 1963, now Patent No. 3,304,583.

The invention of the present application is primarily concerned with apparatus capable of producing a plurality of continuous staple fiber slivers in flat ribbon form and laminating a plurality of such ribbon slivers in multiple layers for subsequent blending by drafting the composite sliver. For brevity, the ribbon sliver vital to the present invention will be designated herein as a ribbon sliver.

A major object of the present invention is to provide aparatus whereby a multiplicity of ribbon slivers which may be of diverse fibers are superposed one on top of another and so laminated into a single multiple-layer ribbon structure for subsequent blending by drafting the laminated ribbon sliver.

The major object of the invention we have accomplished by providing, in textile apparatus including a plurality of independent staple sliver supply means, such as cards, combers, cutters or other deliveries, and sliver drafting means such as a draw frame, the essential elements of the present invention including a plurality of ribbon sliver means each effective to produce a ribbon sliver having an essentially uniform rectangular crosssection with a widthwise dimension several times greater than its thickness, together with assembly means superposing all the ribbon slivers in widthwise alignment providing a laminated ribbon sliver for advance directly and continuously to the drafting means preferably in the same direction of its advance through the sliver supply means 3,432,890 Patented Mar. 18, 1969 for simultaneously drafting and uniformly blending all of the diverse fibers in the laminated ribbon sliver to produce a single, unitary ribbon sliver incapable of delaminating.

As hereinafter more fully explained, our experiments have demonstrated that uniquely uniform blending of a laminated ribbon sliver occurs as a result of drafting such sliver at a draft ratio about five to ten, particularly when such drafting is carried out immediately following the assembly of the composite sliver and in the same direction of its advance through the sliver supply means, without intervening packaging such as coiling the sliver in a can. This, we have found, makes it possible effectively to blend a plurality of ribbon slivers each of diverse fibers, so that a variety of types of sliver supply means, for example, cotton cards alternately arranged with continuous filament cutters, may be used to produce a blended sliver composed of staple fibers of diverse types, such as cotton-manmade fiber blend.

For the first time then, it has become possible effectively to blend at the first drafting step of staple fiber processing, without the necessity of any previous blending operation whatsoever, making possible the elimination of the usual blending apparatus.

Other objects and further details of that which is believed to be novel and included in this invention will be clear from the following description and claims taken with the accompanying drawings in which are illustrated preferred examples of apparatus embodying the present invention and incorporating the improvements above generally described.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a largely diagrammatic top plan view of a multiple card system including a draw frame, showing the general arrangement of exemplary ribbon-like sliver forming, assembling, conveying and blending according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view on a larger scale showing ribbon forming and associated handling and assembling mechanisms of FIG. 1, and is similar in part to mechanisms shown in FIG. 8 of the drawings in application Ser. No. 321,588, aforesaid;

FIG. 3 is a similarly enlarged top plan view showing another portion of the ribbon handling and assembling mechanisms of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of one end of the mechanisms of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the mechanisms and parts shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of mechanisms shown in FIG. 3;

FIGS. 7 through 13 show, somewhat diagrammatically, transverse views at the points marked with the arrows VII through XIII respectively of FIG. 1, illustrating various steps wherein a web is sequentially condensed, formed into a ribbon-like sliver, handled and assembled with other ribbon structures into a single multi-ply ribbon, using the mechanisms and methods of the present invention; and

FIGS. 14 and 15 show modifications of the preferred apparatus, wherein are utilized sliver supply means other than cards.

According to the exemplary apparatus here shown, a high speed textile card 15 of suitable construction is provided with a frame including sides 16 Within and between which the usual card mechanism is suitably supported and driven. At one end of the machine a doffer cylinder 17 is mounted for rotation about an axis extending transversely of the machine, with its clothing running in cooperative engagement with separated fibers on the main cylinder. The doifer cylinder removes the cotton or other fibers from the main cylinder as a uniform fleece and a dofling comb 19 removes the fleece or web from the doifer cylinder clothing. The doffing comb in the apparatus here shown removes the textile fibers from the doifcr cylinder in a diaphanous web or sheet W travelling in a generally horizontal plane extending horizontally across the width of the machine. It is this web which is condensed and formed into a continuous ribbon-like structure according to this invention, and the position of the axes of the calender rolls relative to the plane of the generated web is significant.

The initial web condensing and forming apparatus of the present invention is of the general character disclosed in our previous application aforesaid, the form of the apparatus shown in FIG. 8 of that application being particularly suited for the production of a ribbon sliver or structure using the rest of the apparatus hereinafter described.

As seen in FIG. 1, certain aspects of the present invention lend themselves to use in a multiple card system in which a series of cards each having its own web condensing and sliver forming apparatus are arranged to feed their slivers at right angles to the cards to a common elongated horizontal sliver handling and conveying table 21 that leads to a draw frame 23 having the usual plurality of pairs of drafting rolls providing a draft of at least about five to ten. From draw frame 23, the slivers pass through a pair of calender rolls 24 and are coiled in a can 26. Driving and control arrangements of any suitable nature, or as disclosed in U .S. patent applica tion Ser. No. 278,727, filed May 7, 1963, now Patent No. 3,268,953, by Virgil A. Burnham, and entitled Textile Carding and Drafting Apparatus, may be used in a multiple card assembly apparatus according to the present invention and therefore, details of drives and controls will not be given here. Because the sliver forming, handling and combining mechanisms for each card are virtually identical, details of only one group of such mechanisms will be described, the same reference numerals being used for elements in each group.

Web condensing apparatus according to the present invention, like that of Ser. No. 321,588, is supported from a calender gear box od housing 25 within and on which other elements of the web condenser and sliver forming apparatus are carried. In the arrangement here shown this gear box is suitably supported by and secured to an apron 27 carried by one end of the textile card 15 in front of the doifer cylinder. This is seen best in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. For compressing the fibers in the web to form a sliver, the housing 25 carries a pair of rotatably driven, upwardly projecting subtsantially cylindrical calender rolls 29 and 31 which are suitably driven as from a driven shaft 33 which may be housed within a protective tube. Power for rotating this drive shaft may be obtained from the usual card driving gears or other mechanisms carried by the main machine frame and deriving motion from the main drive in a manner readily understood. One or both of these rolls may be driven. It will be noted that the axes of the rolls extend vertically and are perpendicular to the plane of the web coming from the card, with the projecting ends of the rolls being exposed and free or open. The exposed outed ends of the rolls are preferably tapered and rounded as shown.

Instead of forming the sliver by drawing the fleece or web through a tapered condenser or doifer trumpet by means of calender rolls disposed beyond the trumpet, the forming means in advance of the calender rolls consists of a pair of spaced, substantially parallel web guiding or forming plates, FIGS. 2 and 4, shown here as a top plate 34 and a bottom plate 35, these plates being suitably cantilever supported and secured together near one side end or edge as at 37. For purposes that will later appear, and according to the present invention, the spacing between the plates is 'made adjustable, as by providing removable and replaceable scdews 39 holding the top plate in place, there being provided a series of removable spacers 41 of different thicknesses for insertion between the top and bottom plates at their mounting ends in order to vary the adjustment or setting of the space between the plates Within desired limits.

The unsupported side end or edge of the guiding plates is exposed or free and open, and this side edge, or at least its extremity, may be flared or curved outwardly and away from the opposing plate to guide the web more easily during initial loading or a piecing-up operation. As shown and described in our previous applications these sliver forming plates define an elongated narrow passageway between their spaced, generally parallel inner surfaces. The web guiding and forming passageway extends in a plane normal or perpendicular to the axes of the calender rolls, this forming plane also being parallel to and substantially coincident with the plane of the web .generated from the card. The inner surfaces of the sliver forming plates extend close to the nip of the calender rolls within the cylindrical length of the rolls and away from their tapered and rounded ends. The roll 29 that is closest to the open side end of the forming plates is purposely made somewhat shorter in length than the other roll to help in positioning of the web during piecing-up. All edges of the plates over which the web passes on the way to the rolls may be somewhat flared and smoothly rounded for obvious reasons.

One of the rolls may be provided at its inner end with a flange such as the flange 43 on the roll 29, and the other roll may have a cooperating inwardly stepped edge or reentrant annular recess. These are provided to resist the wraparound of fibers on the shafts of the calender rolls as they are rotated. Further to prevent the buildup of undesired fibers on the rolls, hinged clearer blades 45 and 47 may be provided to bear with their edges against the right and left calender rolls respectively, being mounted suitably from the gear box or housing 25. Other details of the apparatus may include a projecting guard 49 on the outer face of the top plate extending alongside the periphery of roll 31 and into the space between the rolls near their nip. This guard is useful when piecing-up web to prevent an operator from accidentally catching a finger between the rolls. It will be seen that when the width of the web has been gathered transversely together into a fan shape it may be slipped easily between the plates 34 and 35 from their exposed or open ends and the guard 49 then will help the operator to place the gathered web safely into the exposed tapering space leading to the nip between the rolls. The roll 29 may be made somewhat shorter than the roll 31 in order to facilitate manipulation of the gathered end of the web over its free end and into the nip.

In order to provide a stop signal or for control purposes, the roll 29 is not mounted on a fixed axis of rotation but is supported and driven on an axis movable toward and away from the axis of the other roll. It may be rotatably carried by a swing arm or sliding support within the housing and be constantly urged toward the calender roll 31 as by suitable spring arrangements. A stop signal switch (not shown) may be provided within the switch box 51 on the housing and such a switch, actuated by shifting of the axis of roll 29, may control a circuit to a motor or drive for the shaft 33 which drives the rolls or may control one card or a multiple assembly thereof.

With the exception of the removable and replaceable spacers 41 above disclosed for adjustably mounting the top plate 34 with respect to the bottom plate 35, all of the above described elements are shown, described and explained in greater detail in the aforementioned appli cation of which the present is in part a continuation. Therefore, if greater clarity as to these parts of the present disclosure is needed, the disclosure in Ser. No. 321,588 may be used and is incorporated by reference herein.

The axes of the web-gathering calender rolls are shown as vertical in all directions with respect to the plane of the web and the guiding surfaces of the web guides 34 and 35. However, the axes of these rolls need be vertical only with respect to the width or general transverse plane of the web being gathered and may be slanted at a substantial angle, for example, up to 45 in the direction of movement of the stock, without affecting the shaping of the ribbon structure appreciably. Such slanting or inclination of the axes of the rolls may assist in turning and directing the stock in instances where processing is carried out at high speeds. On the other hand, the vertical arrangement of the axes of the rolls with respect to the web and the guide plates cannot be varied greatly in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the stock without materially altering the desired ribbon-like form of the structure being produced.

As pointed out in the earlier applications, this silver forming apparatus is particularly convenient because it can be used for end-around piecing of the sliver from the card web. This can be accomplished easily and quickly because the open plate and roll ends are entirely clear. No threading in the normal sense is required and an operator can slide the fan-gathered web between and into the sliver forming plates between their exposed and flared open ends and then into the nip between the calender rolls by introducing the gathered web between the rolls at their exposed tapered and rounded open ends. Thereafter, the cylindrical parts of the rolls drive the web and the sliver forming plates hold the travelling web and sliver in the nip of the calender rolls within their length with no tendency to jump out. Because the web guiding plates are generally parallel to each other and most of the space between the plates is parallel to and coincident with the plane of the converging web, the faces of the web are not substantially confined or compressed until they reach the calendering rolls. Even then, the compression is edgewise of the web to hold it in a fan shape, because the rolls are working on axes perpendicular to the transverse plane of the generated web. The position of the web guiding plates also leaves the selvages of the web practically free and unconfined until they reach the nip of the rolls. This results in far less disarrangement of the fibers in the web and fibers are not turned back from the selvages into the web as they might be if a conventional trumpet were used. Because of this, a sliver formed with equipment according to the above described apparatus has no hard core and therefore will more easily be drafted in a subsequent operation such as breaker drawing. All of the above was explained in our earlier application.

The present invention started with the observation that the sliver emerging from the calender rolls as above described had a tendency to assume a ribbon-like shape at times. Such a ribbon-like structure would be very advantageous in certain operations, such as drafting, following the carding step, but unfortunately, the forming apparatus above explained was not at first consistent in producing the ribbon-like shape nor was the shape uniform in dimension. The ribbon would emerge distorted at times, sometimes with twists in it, and at other times would lose its ribbon shape altogether. Furthermore, the width of the ribbon was unpredictable and although the selvages were usually very lean, at times they would appear to be heavy. Various attempts therefore were made to obtain a consistent ribbon-like structure of uniform width throughout its length and of even depth throughout its width at any point along the length. In one of the attempts a very close setting of the web guiding plates was used, just prior to the calender rolls, with the thought that this would confine and better control the behavior of the web during compression. This failed to achieve any particularly advantageous result. However, upon widening the setting between the web guiding plates, a point was reached Where a startling effect was observed.

As the web from the card doifer becomes narrower approaching a set of calender rolls, transverse undulations naturally appear in the web radiating toward the doffer from the point of nip at the calender rolls. When the web guides were set or adjusted far enough apart, these undulations were permitted to penetrate between the guide plates right up to the calender rolls themselves. Because the axes of the vertical calender rolls were perpendicular to the general transverse plane of the web, these undulations were compressed against each other in such a way as to form a pleated structure passing between the rolls. The undulations across the Web are indicated in FIG. 7 of the drawing and these undulations as they pass between the plates 34 and 35 and approach the calender rolls are shown in FIG. 8. This structure in cross section resembles a zigzag line of very closely spaced vertical strokes. When passing through the nip of the rolls as shown in FIG. 9, the length of these pleats or the length of the vertical zigzag strokes was found to have a natural or normal average dimension for any given weight of web with any particular type of fiber. For example, with one weight of web having a transverse dimension of about three feet, the vertical thickness of the structure, or the length of the pleats, while in the nip of the rolls was of the order of of an inch. By setting the dimension D between the web guides at this spacing, a consistently superior ribbon structure Was produced. The dimension of the pleats naturally formed from the undulations is affected by the web weight. That is, a heavier web will have to have a wider optimum setting between the guides because of a correspondingly greater natural pleat length. However, this optimum setting for a particular weight web may be varied slightly within certain limits which will in turn effect a minor equivalent variation in the stable width of the ribbon, although if the setting between the guides is made too open as related to the web weight, the pleat length in the sliver will become nonuniform and an unpredictable structure will result.

As this pleated structure emerges from the rolls as a rectangular sliver as seen in FIG. 9, it attempts to unfold because of the elastic qualities of the fiber therein. This natural attempt is only partially successful, however, and a sort of equilibrium is finally reached after the ribbon has emerged from the rolls several inches. The cross section of the ribbon at this point remains almost perfectly rectangular, the longest dimension, or width, being horizontal and the short dimension, or height, being vertical and somewhat reduced from the original pleat height while in the nip. A characteristic of this cross section is its extremely square edges.

There are four things apparently necessary to achieve the preferred pleated ribbon-like structure. The first of these is the gathering of the web in such a way as to pro- !duce natural lateral undulations of a given average height. The second thing is to adjust the web guiding surfaces above and below the web so that they substantially coincide with the natural average height of pleats formed by the undulations, being neither too far above or too far below a particular setting. The third necessary thing is the orientation of the calender rolls substantially normal to the general transverse plane of the web. The fourth and final necessity is sufiicient calender roll pressure to maintain the integrity of the pleated structure when released from the rolls.

When once a more or less stable desirable width of ribbon has been reached, for example three inches, this should be maintained and provision is made to allow the edges of the fibrous structure to expand quickly to the desired width at the same time that it is oriented to travel along the conveyor table 21. For this purpose a turning or guide bar 53 (FIGS. 2, 4 and 10) is mounted above and parallel to the plane of the table near the output of each set of calender rolls. Each guide bar is adjustably supported at one end as by a post 55, pivotally secured to the table as by a position-setting screw 57. After loosening the screw 57, the angle of the guide bar 53 across the table may be changed and the screw again tightened to hold the bar in its angularly adjusted position. The sliver emerging from the calender rolls in turned around the guide bar most easily by passing it first under the bar and then over the top and along the length of the table. The edges of the structure are free to expand during this turning, and the working obtained by the turning quickly brings the ribbon to its desired stable width. Flat ribbon slivers, not neccessarily pleated but otherwise characteristic of the invention, may also be produced by other means than that herein specifically disclosed.

It is intended that these ribbon slivers will be superimposed with a number of other ribbons on the table in front of a series of card units, the resulting laminated unitary multiple layer ribbon being fed in the same direction of its advance through the cards into a draw box 23 (FIG. 1) or other drafting mechanism. After turning around a bar 53, each ribbon is passed between selvage guides in the form of posts 59 properly to position the ribbon widthwise on the table and to prevent undesired expansion of the ribbon, such elements acting as means to superimpose a ribbon over those beneath it. Except for the ribbon farthest from the draw box, each ribbon now assumes a position on top of other ribbons already on the table. To prevent premature contact between a ribbon and those it will join, a brief separating plate 61 (FIGS. 2, 4 and 12) is installed above the conveying table 21 at each output. Ribbons already on the table pass beneath the separating plate and the ribbon being turned and oriented passes above the plate as seen in FIG. 12. The plate terminates appropriately prior to the point where the new ribbon joins those already in position as seen in FIG. 13. Thus, the ribbons are initially superim posed and assembled by bars 53, posts 59 and plates 61.

As the ribbons are assembled, they must be propelled down the table without undue tension. Details of means to accomplish this are shown best in FIGS. 3, and 6. They also must remain oriented and their composite width must be maintained. To effect this, for example, there are periodically spaced calender rolls 63 and 65 interrupting the continuity of the sliver table. These, as shown, extend transversely of the table, and one or both of them may be suitably driven from gearing 67 housed within a gear box 69 and deriving power from a suitable source such as the drive shaft 33. These table calender rolls and their drive may be suitably supported as by brackets 71 secured to the frame sides 16 on the textile cards, and these brackets may be further provided with extensions 73 for supporting sections of the conveying table 21. It will be noted from FIG. 5 that the section of the table preceding a set of table calender rolls is located at a level coincident with the nip of the rolls but that the section of the table following the rolls is slightly lower. When a ribbon or ribbons pass through these table calender rolls, the effect is to compress and widen the fibrous structure, as well as to aid in assembling it with the underlying ribbons. The pleated structure is substantially maintained in spite of this treatment, and a pair of properly adjusted selvage guides in the form of posts 75, similar to the guide posts 59 are provided subsequent to each set of table calender rolls. Posts 75 are to be seen in FIG. 13 guiding a pair of combined ribbon slivers. These will correct the widening effect and return the width of the ribbon approximately to its previous dimension, also aiding in superimposing and assembling the ribbons.

To help maintain a straight course, there are also selvage guides in the form of spaced posts 77 (FIGS. 5 and 11) just prior to each set of table calender rolls. A slightly closed'in setting of these additional guides also helps in preserving the desired width of structure during its passage down the table.

For the best results in orienting, superimposing and assembling the individual ribbons correctly, means as follows are required:

(I) A turning bur (FIG. that is angularly adjust- 0 able to obtain the desired amount of spreading of the rectangular formed structure to its stable width;

(2) A separating plate (FIG. 12) to hold the expanding ribbon out of contact with other formed ribbons until the added ribbon is fully turned and expanded, and

(3) A pair of selvage guides (FIGS. ll, 12 and 13) to orient the expanded ribbon and prevent undue expan- In conveying the ribbons down the table, their width and relative orientation are maintained by the periodic table calender rolls and the selvage guides before and after the rolls, these guides being made adjustable. The spacings between the posts in the pairs of selvage guides 59, and 77 all may be made adjustable in any suitable fashion. For example, transversely elongated mounting holes or slots may be provided in the table 21, through which each post may be bolted or otherwise secured to the table at any selected position in the slot.

FIGS. 9 through 13 show in somewhat diagrammatic form the sequential steps in the formation of a multiplelayered ribbon-like sliver by apparatus according to this invention. FIG. 9 shows the emergence of a single pleated web from between the calender rolls 29 and 31. FIG. 10, in a different view, indicates how the web is guided between the plates 34 and 35, between the calender rolls as in FIG. 9 and then turned about the bar 53, where the pleats expand. FIG. 11 shows recalendering and guiding of a single ribbon sliver as it passes along the table 21 after turning. FIG. 12 shows the introduction and guiding of another ribbon sliver above one already produced and recalendered, and FIG. 13 shows the guiding and calendering together or compacting of two combined rib bon slivers. It will be understood, however, that other assembling conveying and guiding means, such as a moving belt, may be substituted for the means herein specifically disclosed to handle the composite fibrous structure resulting from sandwiching and compacting a number of ribbon slivers (FIG. 3), which, especially when pleated has a surprising strength and resiliency. It is believed that the table calender rolls (FIGS. 3, 5, 6, 11 and 13) contribute to this end by intimately entangling one ribbon-like layer with another.

A laminated multi-ply ribbon sliver, according to the present invention, can be uniquely processed by a high speed draw frame to blend the fibers of the plurality of ribbon slivers thereof producing a single unitary ribbon sliver incapable of deliminating. It is theorized that this is so because, in the nip of the various rolls in a drafting element the present fibrous structure presents a substantially uniform thickness. With normal side-by-side multiple slivers the thickness will vary from the center of each sliver to its line of contact with its neighbor. Furthermore, with conventional slivers variations in sliver size from one to the next tend to alter the degree of nip experienced by each in the draw frame, whereas variations in ribbon size with structures made according to the present invention are spread across the entire width of the strand equally. Better drafting control is therefore possible with the ribbon structure. Multiple ribbon structures according to the present invention also maintain their homogeneity. The tendency for any portion of a multiple-ply ribbon to split away from the mass is minimized. On the other hand, conventional side-by-side multiple slivers tend to maintain their individuality through the drawing process and are more subject to behaving independently. Thus a local influence can cause one of the slivers in a conventional multiple sliver to be have erratically, for instance, lap-up, where the same influence would not affect the multi-ply ribbon structure. The squareness of the selvages of a ribbon made by a machine of the present invention minimizes selvage difli- CUlties in a drafting element. Because the material has not been pulled through a trumpet prior to the drafting element. the characteristic curling, twisting, and distortion of fibers usually seen in a conventional sliver is notably absent. The dense core sometimes encountered in conventional slivers is also eliminated. These improvements are reflected in the unique blending of diverse fiber laminations upon drafting laminated ribbon slivers made as herein described to the extent that a plurality of diverse fibers, supplied, if desired, by various types of sliver delivery mechanisms such as cards, combers, continuous filament cutters and the like or assemblies of more than one kind of such mechanism, may be utilized to produce a unitary composite blended sliver of diverse staple fibers incapable of delaminating.

Such an arrangement is shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 wherein two cards 80, 82 are arranged alternately with two continuous filament cutters 84, 86, such as are shown and described in Patent No. 2,438,469, each being provided with suitable means 88 for converting the staple fiber output of the cards and cutters into fiat ribbon slivers which are laminated as described above. Wi h a staple fiber such as cotton being fed to cards 80, 82, to produce cotton ribbon slivers 81, 83 and manrnade continuous filament being fed to cutters 84, 36 to produce manmade staple fiber ribbon slivers 85, 87, the composite ribbon of diverse fiber laminations is passed directly along the conveyor table 21 to drafting rolls 23 which operate to draft the composite ribbon at a draft of about five to ten and in the same direction in which is passed through the cards to produce a unitary diverse fiber blended ribbon sliver 90 of surprisingly uniformity as to blending as well as other characteristics.

Although described above in connection with a card comber or cutter of the type used in the textile industry, the dependable formation of card web or similar webs of fibrous material into ribbons of souare edged rectangular cross section may also have utility in the nonwoven and personal products field. There are doubtless other possibilities for application of individual fibrous ribbons or ribbon aggregates and therefore, the invention should not be considered as limited to the textile field or to card or the like webs formed into ribbon structures.

As will be evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of this invention are not limi ed to the particular details set forth as an example, and it is contemplated that various and other modifications and applications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is therefore intended that the appended claims shall cover such modifications and applications as do not depart from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In equipment generating a web of fibers across a plane thereof. apparatus for forming said Web of fibers into a ribbon-like structure comprising a pair of calender rolls mounted and driven for rotation about axes generally vertical to the transverse plane of said generated web and adapted to receive said web therebetween in transversely gathered condition,

said web being free from transverse confinement at its side edges from its point of generation to its point of gathering between said calender rolls,

the transversely gathering web containing natural undulations, the same forming folded pleats with faces vertically extending with respect to the plane of the generated web as they pass through the nip of the rolls,

forming means in advance of said calender rolls comprising a pair of spaced Web guides with surfaces thereon spaced from one another and generally perpendicular to the axes of said rolls on either side of the plane of the gathering web, said plate surfaces defining between them a passageway having a depth approximately equal to the average height of the pleats aforesaid formed from the natural undulations in the gathering web as they pass through the nip, thereby forming a substantially rectangular fibrous structure of transversely pleated form from said gathered web having a depth equal to the height of said pleats, and

means beyond said rolls conveying said fibrous structure therefrom and means supporting said structure on a side normal to said pleat depth to permit expansion of said pleats to form a ribbon-like fibrous structure.

2. In equipment generating a web of fibers across a plane thereof, apparatus for forming said web of fibers into a ribbon-like structure comprising a pair of calender rolls mounted and driven for rotation about axes generally vertical to the transverse plane of said generated web and adapted to receive said web therebetween in transversly gathered condition, the transversely gathering Web containing natural undulations, the same forming folded pleats with faces vertically extending with respect to the plane of the generated web as they pass through the nip of the rolls,

forming means in advance of said calender rolls comprising a pair of spaced web guides with generally parallel surfaces generally perpendicular to the axes of said rolls on either side of the plane of the gathering web, said surfaces defining between them a passageway having a depth approximately equal to the average height of the pleats aforesaid formed from the natural undulations in the gathering web as they pass through the nip, thereby forming a substantially ribbon-like structure of transversely pleated form,

an elongated receiving and supporting table extending at an angle to the output of said calender rolls,

an angularly adjustable guide bar above said table around which said ribbon-like structure is adapted to be turned and directed along said table while permitting said pleats to expand,

selvage guides on said table limiting expansion of said pleats to a desired stable width and orienting said structure along said table and means conveying said ribbon-like structure along said table between said selvage guides.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the means conveying said ribbon-like structure along said table includes a set of horizontal table calendering rolls extending transversely of the length of said table, and wherein further selvage guides are provided on said table closely adjacent said table calenderin g rolls. 4. In a multiple system having a plurality of adjacent web sources, each providing a web of fibers across a plane near one end thereof,

apparatus for forming said webs of fibers into a single multiple-ply ribbon-like fibrous structure, comprising an elongated receiving and supporting table common to and extending adjacent the web providing ends of said web sources,

each web source having a pair of calender rolls adjacent said table, said rolls being mounted and driven for rotation about axes generally vertical to the transverse plane of the web provided by such web source and adapted to receive said web therebetween in transversely gathered condition,

the transversely gathering web containing natural undulations, the same forming folded pleats with faces vertically extending with respect to the plane of the web as the pleats pass through the nip of the rolls, forming means in advance of each said calender roll pair comprising a pair of spaced web guides with surfaces generally parallel to one another and generally perpendicular to the axes of said rolls on either side of the plane of the gathering web, said surfaces defining between them a passageway having a depth approximately equal to the average height of the pleats aforesaid formed from the natural undulations in the gathering web as they pass through the nip,

thereby forming a fibrous structure of transversely pleated form from said gathered web opposite each web source,

means beyond each said calender roll pair permitting controlled expansion of said structures to ribbon-like form while superposing said structures on one another upon said table to form a single rnulti-ply ribhon-like structure,

said superposing means including means conveying and guiding said structures longitudinally of said table.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which said means conveying and guiding said structures longitudinally of said table includes a set of calendering rolls extending transversely of said table, and

a series of adjustably spaced pairs of selvage guides along said table.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which said superposing means includes a guide member beyond each said calender roll pair for turning the fibrous structure therefrom toward said table, and

a separator plate spaced above said table and below said guide member.

7. In equipment including a plurality of adjacent machines each discharging a loose web of fibers therefrom,

apparatus for forming said webs of fibers into a single multiple-ply ribbon-like fibrous structure, comprising a pair of web-receiving calender rolls at each web discharging machine having axes generally perpendicular with respect to the width of the web received thereby,

web guiding means in advance of each said calender roll pair so spaced adjacent opposite faces of the web, without transverse confinement of the edges of the web, as to produce as an output following said rolls, a substantially rectangular fibrous pleated structure of ribbon-like form from the loose web of fibers of each said machine,

an elongated receiving and supporting table common to said web discharging machines and extending adjacent the ribbon-like output of said rolls thereat, means superposing said ribbon-like structures on one another upon said table to form a single multi-ply ribbon-like fibrous structure, said superposing means guiding and conveying said structures longitudinally of said table, and said superposing means including calendering means compacting adjacent ones of said superposed ribbon-like structures together.

8. An array of apparatus comprising a plurality of adjacent machines each generating a loose web of fibers across a plane thereof, each with its own apparatus for shaping said web of fibers into a ribbon-like structure comprising web shaping means including driven gathering means transverse to the plane of the web, said driven gathering means constituting the sole means for transversely gathering the web so as to produce a substantially rectangular fibrous pleated structure of ribbon-like form as an output of said web shaping means from said loose web of fibers,

an elongated receiving table extending from the output of the Web shaping means of each of said plurality of adjacent machines and common to all said machines,

means on said table beyond each of said web shaping means superposing said pleated structures on one another upon said table to form a single multi-ply substantially rectangular fibrous structure of ribbon-like form, said superposing means turning each one of said structures from said web shaping means along said table and guiding and conveying said structures longitudinally of said table.

9. Textile blending apparatus comprising:

a plurality of adjacent machines each generating a loose web of staple fibers across a plane thereof, at least one of said machines including a continuous filament cutter and providing a web of staple-filament fibers, and at least one other of said machines comprising a cotton card and providing a web of cotton fibers;

web shaping means adjacent each of said machines for gathering its web so as to produce a substantially rectangular fibrous structure of ribbon-like form as an output of said web shaping means from said loose web of fibers,

an elongated receiving means extending from the output of said web shaping means of each of said plurality of adjacent machines and common to all of said machines;

means on said receiving means beyond each of said web shaping means superposing said fibrous structures on one another upon said receiving means to form a single multi-ply substantially rectangular fibrous structure of ribbon-like form, said superposing means turning each of said structures from said Web shaping means along said receiving means and preventing contact prior thereto between adjacent ones of said structures.

10. Apparatus for blending textile fibers into a single unitary sliver comprising:

a plurality of independent sliver supply means each having means generating a loose web of fibers and means for forming said web into an output ribbon sliver having longitudinally extending pleats, an essentially uniform rectangular cross section, and a width dimension greater than its thickness;

ribbon sliver assembly means superposing said pleated ribbon slivers upon one another aligned in their width dimension providing a laminated ribbon sliver of essentially said width dimension; and

sliver drafting means including a plurality of pairs of drafting rolls for drafting said laminated sliver, with said width dimension thereof generally parallel to the axes of said rolls, to blend said output ribbon slivers and the fibers thereof into a single unitary sliver incapable of delarninating.

11. Textile apparatus for blending a plurality of diverse staple fibers into .a single unitary sliver comprising:

a plurality of independent sliver supply means each providing a continuous ribbon sliver having as essentially uniform rectangular cross section with a widthwise dimension several times greater than its thickness composed of generally longitudinally aligned staple fibers, said sliver supply means and the fibers of the respective ribbon slivers provided thereby being of at least two diverse types with at least one of said sliver supply means including a continuous filament cutter and providing a ribbon sliver having staple-filament fibers;

ribbon sliver assembly means superposing all of said ribbon slivers upon one another aligned in their widthwise dimension providing a laminated sliver of said widthwise dimension having a plurality of laminations of diverse staple fibers; and

sliyer drafting means including a plurality of pairs of drafting rolls for receiving said laminated sliver with said width dimension extending generally axially thereof and for drafting said laminated sliver to blend the diverse fibers thereof into a single unitary sliver incapable of delaminating.

12. Textile apparatus as in claim 11, including at least four of said independent sliver supply means, and wherein said drafting means imposes a minimum draft of about five upon said laminated sliver.

13. Textile apparatus as in claim .12, wherein one of said sliver supply means includes a cotton card, and said drafting means imposes a draft of about five to ten upon said laminated sliver.

14. Textile apparatus as in claim 11, wherein at least 13 14 some of said supply means include tneans for longitudi- OTHER REFERENCES nally pleatlng the nbbon shvers provlded thereby. Japanese patent publication 38/1869 Toyowa, May

References Cited 14, 1963.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 DORSEY NEWTON P E 165,716 7/1875 Dobson et a1. 19 1s0 xamme" 3,134,144 5/1964 Still 1998 US. Cl. X.R.

FOREIGN PATENTS 19 9 243 3,962 1873 Great Britain. 

